


Christmas Proposals

by writemydreams



Series: Secret Santa [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gift Exchange, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Voltron Secret Santa 2018, background allurance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-29 10:38:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17201939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writemydreams/pseuds/writemydreams
Summary: Shiro and Keith have been best friends for five years and a couple for two. It’s their second Christmas together, and Shiro isn’t sure what to get his boyfriend. Asking his friends for advice inspires him to take their relationship to the next level.





	Christmas Proposals

**Author's Note:**

  * For [luddlestons](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=luddlestons).



> Merry belated Christmas to my giftee, Luddlestons! I hope you like this. Originally I meant to challenge myself and write a Klance college AU with Lance taking Keith home to meet his family. After the travesty of S8 I was powered by Sheith and spite to write happy Sheith instead.

The first week of December has come and gone without a shred of inspiration. Now, it’s December 9th, and Shiro is getting desperate. He feels like such a rotten boyfriend! Keith has been his best friend for five years and his boyfriend for two. Shiro should know what the perfect Christmas gift is! Except, that’s where his problem lies. What to get the man who’s a minimalist and prefers practical gifts? 

Shiro’s eye twitches as he remembers asking Keith what he’d like for his birthday. He’s still alarmed that Keith shrugged and asked for groceries. At least he hadn’t requested socks. Or worse, cleaning supplies. Nothing says romance like buying socks and bathroom cleaner for your boyfriend. 

Sighing, Shiro leans back in his chair. Hopefully his friends arrive soon to give him advice. They’re meeting at Shiro’s favorite café to have drinks and chat. The café is decorated for the holidays with twinkle lights, a small Christmas tree in the corner, a menorah for Jewish customers, and a big wreath on the door. The décor makes the café look even more inviting than it already is. If only it would inspire him with creativity for gift giving.

The bell over the door chimes as a customer walks in. “Shiro! There you are.” A grinning Lance joins him at the table. He instantly notes Keith’s absence. “No Keith today?”

“He’s working late. What about Allura?”

“Same.” Lance, always so proud of his girlfriend, beams. “She’s working on her presentation for the Astronomy Conference. I know she’ll do a great job and blow everyone’s mind. The board will have to give her extra funding then.”

Shiro smiles. “I have full confidence in her. Tell Allura I say hi when she gets home.”

“I will. Once the conference is over, we should go out for dinner. She’ll need good friends and good company after all her hard work. Speaking of which, here comes Hunk and Pidge.” He waves at the two as they enter the café. 

Five minutes later, they’re clustered around the table with drinks and pastries. Hunk happily digs into his peppermint chocolate scone, barely coming up for air until half the pastry has been demolished. Pidge hasn’t realized her latte has given her a foam moustache while Lance keeps smirking at her over his hot chocolate. 

“I need your advice,” Shiro blurts. 

Pidge lowers her chocolate chip muffin. She licks crumbs and foam off her lips. “About what? Work? How you need to throw away those boots before the soles fall off your feet?”

“At least he isn’t wearing Crocs today,” Lance offers. He and Pidge exchange pained looks then laugh when Shiro scowls at them. Neither of them are being remotely helpful!

“Shiro, I love you, but no human alive should be allowed to wear Crocs. Please tell me Kosmo chewed up your pair,” Hunk says.

Shiro huffs. “Kosmo doesn’t chew shoes, I don’t wear Crocs in the winter, and I’m getting these boots resoled next weekend. I don’t need advice about work or my shoes. What I need are suggestions for Keith’s Christmas present. I have no idea what to get him! I asked him what he wanted last week. All he could think of was a new pair of hiking boots. I want to get him something more than that though.”

“How about lingerie?” Lance suggests. 

Unfortunately, the unhelpful suggestion comes as Shiro sips his tea. He promptly chokes, rubbing his chest as he coughs. Keith dressed in red and black lingerie… or purple to bring out the color of his eyes. God, the visuals are beautiful. Shiro’s sure his face is crimson as he pictures it. 

Lance snickers. “Wow, Shiro, don’t get so excited.” 

Shiro coughs again. “I’m not buying my boyfriend lingerie.” It would be a gift for Shiro anyway. Not for Keith.

“Yeah, what’s Keith’s bra size?” Pidge giggles as she takes another sip of her latte.

“Ha ha, you’re both so funny. I already said I won’t buy Keith lingerie.” No matter how tantalizing the images are. “I guess I could get him hiking boots and a new outfit. Or replace some of his favorites that are starting to fall apart.” 

“Or,” Hunk says, “you could get him an engagement ring. You and Keith are practically married anyway. Why not make it official?”

Shiro flushes while Lance’s eyes widen in horror. “No! He can’t propose to Keith until I’ve asked Allura!” 

“Wait, _you_ want to get married?” Pidge raises an eyebrow at Lance. “Loverboy Lance, the biggest flirt I’ve ever known?” 

Lance crosses his arms. “Is it so surprising that I want to commit to the woman I love? Once we started dating, I knew there’d never be anyone else for me. Guys, I really love Allura. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. When we go down to see my family for Christmas I’m going to take her on a boat ride and ask her to marry me.” His expression softens as he looks at Shiro. “Look, I wanted to be the first of our friends group to get engaged, but Hunk is right. You should ask Keith to marry you. The two of you are so in love it’s a surprise you haven’t walked him down the aisle already.”

Shiro brushes his bangs back, a little overwhelmed. Lance and Allura are potentially engaged while he and Keith… “I-I don’t know if Keith is interested in marriage,” he stalls, trying not to picture getting down on one knee in front of his boyfriend. What would Keith say? What would Shiro do if Keith said no?

Pidge pats his arm. “Shiro, you’re cute when you’re so oblivious. You’re the center of Keith’s world! Of course he’d want to marry you. Family has always been important to both of you. You found a family with our friends and with each other. Marriage will make that bond even stronger.” She’s perceptive as always.

Marriage. When Shiro first met Keith, he was engaged to Adam. After that relationship tanked he put aside all thoughts of marriage – aside from the occasional daydream of marrying Keith whenever he sees wedding scenes in movies or on TV. “Do you really think he’d say yes?”

His friends look at him in a way that suggests he’s lost his mind. “Yes!”

Shiro gazes at his left hand where an engagement ring once sat. He considers being engaged again, planning weddings with his fiancé. It doesn’t frighten or upset him anymore. Not when he pictures wedding planning with Keith. “I… think that’s way better than hiking boots and new clothes.” 

Hunk takes Shiro’s prosthetic hand and squeezes it. He can feel warmth and pressure in that hand, but no real sensation of touch. “You and Keith love going hiking together. How about you get him the engagement ring and we,” he gestures to their friends, “get Keith what he asked for? I already bought him some new t-shirts.”

“I’m buying him new pants,” Pidge says. “Matt and I are going shopping tomorrow. He and Keith are the same size so I’ll make sure the pants fit. And that Keith’s butt will look good.”

Shiro groans. “You’re so kind.”

Lance chuckles. “Allura and I haven’t picked out Keith’s gift yet, but we can get him a new pair of hiking boots. Have him pick out the ones he wants and then we’ll purchase them for him.”

“Okay. Thank you. I… I have to get a ring. And figure out how to propose. Lance, do you have Allura’s ring already?”

“I do!” Lance says proudly. “I’ve been keeping the box in my jacket pocket so she can’t find it.” He pulls a small, velvet box out of his pocket and opens it to show them a gold, crown-shaped ring with a diamond in the center. “It was my grandmother’s engagement ring. She gave it to me when I turned sixteen and told me to give it to the right woman when I was ready. I know it’s Allura.” 

Shiro smiles as he pictures the ring on Allura’s finger. “I think that’s wonderful, Lance. I really hope she says yes.”

“Me too.” Lance closes the box and puts it back in his pocket. “If she says no, I’ll wait until she’s ready. She’s worth waiting for.”

Pidge pats his shoulder. “I highly doubt she’s going to say no. Same with Keith.”

“Sometimes I do think of us married,” Shiro admits. “Last year I started wondering about our future. I don’t want to be with anyone but Keith. It’s just… after Adam, I’m a little afraid to take that next step. I’ve only dated Keith for two years. Do you think it’s too soon to get engaged?”

Pidge snorts. “You realize some people only date a few months before getting engaged?”

“My parents dated a year before Dad proposed,” Lance says. 

“Mine were together for three, but that’s because Mom wanted to get her degree before she got married,” Pidge adds. “Look, Shiro, the length of your relationship doesn’t determine when you should get engaged. Love does. Do you love Keith with all your heart and soul?”

“Of course I do.”

Pidge grins. “Keith loves you with every fiber of his being. He’s your best friend as well as being your boyfriend. Those are the types of relationships that last. You’ll make Keith a happy man if you propose, but don’t ask him to marry you unless you’re sure this is what you want.”

“Yeah,” Hunk says. “Don’t let us talk you into something you aren’t ready for.”

They stare at Shiro as if they’re waiting for the answers to the universe. The response comes easily.

“I want to marry the man I love,” Shiro says. “Do you have time to check out the jewelry shop near here? I’d like to look at rings today.” He glances down at his prosthetic. “Maybe something with the same metal as my prosthetic.” Keith helped him come to terms with the loss of his arm. Having a ring like it would be great, but Shiro wants to have options. “Keith won’t want something fancy or mass produced. He’d rather have something unique, locally made.” He pictures what sort of ring would suit Keith best. Something silver with a band of red to reflect his life in the desert? Or the gunmetal gray of his arm?

His friends cheer, and they extend their time together to check out engagement rings and get an idea about prices. 

**Christmas Eve**

The days pass all too quickly. Shiro has the ring now, and at least a dozen different ideas for how to propose. They range in simplicity from tying a ring box to Kosmo’s collar and sending him to Keith or challenging Keith to a desert race/scavenger hunt ending with Shiro getting down on one knee at sunset. 

In the end, he decides a simple approach is best. Both have the week off of work and are taking advantage of it. Keith breaks in his new boots to hike out to the mesas with Shiro, they race through the desert on their bikes, drink hot chocolate while stargazing, and go into the mountains for a couple days. Kosmo is a part of their adventures as he has been ever since Keith fell for the black and gray ball of fluff four years ago. Kosmo is drooling on Shiro’s shoulder in excitement as they drive out of the city and into the desert to hike their favorite trails.

“Kosmo,” Shiro groans. “Maybe I should get him a bib for Christmas.”

Keith laughs. “Might be a good idea.” He pats his dog then tosses a treat into the back to give Shiro a brief reprieve. 

“Thanks.” Shiro makes a face at his shoulder. “How are the new boots holding up?”

“They’re great. Same with the pants Pidge got me.”

True to her word, Keith’s butt looks amazing in them. Shiro enjoys the view whenever he lets Keith get ahead of him on their walks. “Good.” He takes Keith’s hand. “I love you.”

Keith smiles at him. “I love you too. Hopefully you’ll still love me by the end of this hike.”

“Are you implying I can’t keep up with you and Sir Drools a Lot?” Shiro teases. 

“Hey, he only drools when he’s excited. There are some steep inclines so your calves might hate you by the time we reach the top of Lion Head Mesa.” 

“My calves can handle it.”

And they do. It’s a strenuous hike, but the beauty of the desert and the views from atop the mesa are worth every minute. Shiro stands by Keith’s side and gazes out across the sea of sand and red rock. This is what they love doing together. Hiking, enjoying the scenery, and adding to their extensive photography collection. That’s why it’s the perfect place to propose to Keith. Shiro doesn’t need to take him out to dinner or surprise him by giving him a ring on Christmas morning. 

“Keith.”

“Hm?” Keith turns to face him. His hair has come loose from its ponytail while they hiked and his face is a little flushed from exertion. He looks positively radiant though. His violet eyes widen as Shiro sinks to one knee before him. “Shiro?” He whispers.

Shiro takes the box out of his jacket pocket. “These last two years as your boyfriend have been the happiest in my life. You and I have always been there for each other just as we will be in the future. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Keith, will you marry me?” He opens the box to show him the gunmetal gray ring with a band of crimson in the center.

Keith swallows. “Yes,” he says, offering his left hand to Shiro. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”

Reverently, Shiro slides the ring onto Keith’s finger. He clasps his fiancé’s hand as he stands and leans in to kiss him. He feels Keith smiling into it as Keith slides his free hand up into Shiro’s hair, deepening the kiss as he presses closer to him.

Kosmo ruins the moment by barking and nudging his way in between them. “Kosmo,” Keith groans as he looks down at his dog. 

Shiro chuckles and scratches Kosmo behind the ears. “I thought of attaching the box to his collar or having him bring it to you. I didn’t want to give you a slobbery ring though.”

Keith admires his engagement ring. “I appreciate that.” 

Shiro glances down when Kosmo barks again. The dog nudges his tennis ball to him, expression insistent. “Okay, okay,” he laughs. He picks up the ball and throws it for him. Barking happily Kosmo bounds down the trail after the ball. “I love you so much, Keith.”

“I love you too.” Keith leans in to kiss him again. “Er, you kind of spoiled my present for you.”

Shiro blinks. “How so?”

“I got you an engagement ring too.” 

Shiro smiles as he pulls his fiancé into his arms. “Great minds think alike. I’ll gladly accept an engagement ring from you.” He kisses Keith once more, looking forward to starting the next chapter of their lives together.


End file.
